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EU’s Anti-Google War Hurts EU’s Startups

Google won't be the only victim of the EU’s policy to break it up. Many thousands of small and medium-size European businesses will also be affected.

Dec. 8, 2014 4:01 p.m. ET

With regard to Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.’s “Europe’s Plea to Be Forgotten” (Business World, Nov. 29): Google won't be the only victim of this shortsighted policy of the EU’s to break it up. The many thousands of small- and medium-size European businesses which have benefited from and depend on Google’s highly efficient marketing platform will also be affected. Inevitably if their access to Google is curtailed, or the service is weakened, these businesses will incur higher marketing costs that will make them less competitive and force higher prices on to their customers. In addition, the very startups that the Europeans want...